WHEN the Conservative Party gathers today in Birmingham, there should be only one focus: unite behind a new leader — and sharpish.
In the wake of July’s General Election mauling, it was understandable that party bigwigs drew up a marathon contest.
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But the Conservative beauty pageant has gone on far too long.
And the drawn-out battle is preventing Tories from carrying out the first duty of opposition — holding Sir Keir Starmer to account.
As it stands, the new leader will not be in place until November 2.
That is three days AFTER Labour’s critical first budget.
The job of responding to what promises to be one of the great smash-and-tax-grabs of our time will be left to outgoing Rishi Sunak.
This ludicrous timetable must be torn up.
Rarely has an effective opposition been so vital. The issues facing the country are too great to ignore.
The Tories must put their differences aside and come together to confront Labour in the battle of ideas.
Last week the PM said it was not possible to enjoy good public services without tax rises.
But as Tory frontrunner Robert Jenrick writes today, we need a small state that works, not a big state that fails.
As well as throwing billions more at the NHS, Sir Keir says he is committed to health service reform.
The new Tory leader must be in place to ensure the PM enacts it.
ROSIE AND GRIM
EVERY government is hit by the resignation of MPs — but normally in the dying embers of a parliament.
So the move by Rosie Duffield to quit Labour in fury less than three months after the election is significant.
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Ms Duffield has been a brave supporter of women’s rights in the face of hostility from the hysterical trans lobby.
She has accused Labour’s top-tier of “sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice”.
The PM and his cronies should take note.
NANNYING NOT GRRREAT
LABOUR’S moves to slap chocolates and sugary cereals with cigarette-style health warnings smacks of the nanny state.
Ministers are determined to clamp down on childhood obesity, despite the fact there is little evidence this will work.
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Even Tony the Tiger is in the Government’s sights.
We just hope a diplomatic row with the Ferrero Rocher ambassador can be avoided.
